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Marisela Rodriguez - Washington DC

The first day of October this year, I had the opportunity to present my work and research at our nation’s capital.

After participating in the Minority Health Disparities program under the umbrella of the Undergraduate Research and Opportunities Consortium, commonly known as UROC this summer, I was exposed to then another program called Western Alliance to Expand Student Opportunities. WAESO helped fund the summer program here at the University of Arizona and was present at the end of the summer UROC poster presentation session. They approached me offering a stipend to continue research in Dr. Yuan’s lab where I would resume my work on apoptotic gene regulators and their role in pulmonary hypertension. Mid-September I received the news that I would be nominated to present the research at the 17th Annual Role Models Conference in Washington DC. Never been to DC I was amused at all the surrounding history, museums, art, and monuments in the area. Having a fully funded trip by WAESO and networking with students and faculty who also immerse themselves in research resulted in an unforgettable experience and new friendships. Back at the University of Arizona I am inspired to do more as far as research and return with expanded knowledge on current biomedical research throughout the country.